Combustion chamber for internal combustion engines



Nov. 24, 1931. c. E. SUMMERS COMBUSTION CHAMBER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 2. 1930 gwtwwtot ,dzleb 5.5azzzmeu Patented N... 24, 1931 CALEB E. sUmMERs, or PONTIAC,

RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COMBUQTION CHAMBER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed May 8,

which burns last, tends to remain below the 15 critical temperature of detonation.

In the accompanying drawings: F ig. 1 is an end elevation of an engine embodylng this invention, shown partly in transverse section on the line11 of Fig. 2,

and

Fig. 2 is an under-side plan of a fragment of the detachable head as it would ap ear if separated on the lane indicated by t e line 25 22 of Fig. 1 and the arrows. I

In Fig. 1, indicates a cylinder block formed with a cylinder bore 11 in which a piston 12 is adapted to reciprocate and to con: vert its reciprocating motion into rotarymotion of a crankshaft thru the connecting rod 13. On the-cylinder block is a head 14 which is shown detachably secured to the block, but" may, of course, be integral with it. The head 1; contains one or more cavities which form, in conjunction with the cylinder block, the combustion space. As illustrated there is a main combustion chamber composed of a major portion 15 ofi's'et from the cylinder bore and a minor portion 16 at the. opposite side of the'chamber over the piston. The ratio of space to wall surface is much greater in the major rtion 15 than in the minor portion 16 an the depth of the former is relatively much greater than the do An auxiliary 1 chamber 1 has restricted communication as at 18-, with the major portion of said main chamber.

5 chamber 17 is separated from theminor portion 16 of the main combustion chamber. by

viewed in the direction of b pth of the;v latter at the end of the vcom ression stroke.

The auxihary 1930. Serial No. 449,218.

a septum 19 which constitutes the roof of said minor portion of the chamber.

An inlet port for air or weak fuel mixture is indicated at 20. The port 20 is controlled by poppet valve 21 which is normally closed by spring 22 and is opened by the camshaft 23 adapted to operate a tappet 24.- bearing upon a cam and the end of the valve stem. The cam shaft 23 is operated at the proper speed from the en 'ne crankshaft. The exhaust valve is not s own in the drawings, but occupies the position shown by the dotted circle 25 in Fig. 2, proper time by cam shaft 23. A fuel inlet port communicates with the auxiliary comustion chamber 17- and this port is controlled by a valve 26, which may be operated in any suitable manner at the proper time with respect to the operation of the other valves to'admit a quantity of liquid fuel mixed with a small quantity of air into the auxiliary chamber 17. The valve 26 is shown as normally closed by spring 27 and as opened y any suitable means here shown conventio'nally by a cam on the camshaft 28 rotated in unlson'with the camshaft 23 as by 'a sprocket chain 28a or other suitable transmission means. Liquid fuel is conducted thru the. passage 29 in any suitable manner and fron'rany suitable source such as that shown in said prior'patent. A spark plug 30 penetrates' the roof of the auxiliary chamber, the electrodes being disposed in position to ignite the rich mixture in the auxiliary chamber,

-' preferably. adjacent the constricted passage from the auxiliaryor passages 18 leading -chamber 17 into the main combustion chamher. The communication 18 is preferably divided into two branches by a bafiling division wall 18a close to which, midway between the branches, the sparkplug electrodes are disposed, to protect them from the blast'produced by the compression stroke of the piston.

1 This engine like that disclosed in said prior patent operates withapproximately constant and is also operated at the- M'IGHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS compression "-in' the combustion chamber whatever the speed of the engine. Substantially complete charges of a r or'very thin mixtures of fuel and air are drawn at every suction stroke into the cylinder and chamber chamber having a valved fuel inlet, and an and enriched as required by liquid fuel fed ignition means in said auxiliary chamber in into the auxiliary chamber. In. order to proproximity to the restricted passage.

vide for proper ignition the rich mixture in the chamber 17 is ignited by a spark from electrodes of'spark plu 30. The flame thereby engendered rushes t M the restricted passage into the main chamber and produces the heat and expansion of gases therein necessary to move the piston. As the space 16 between the piston and the roof over it is of very small volume with respect to wall surface, the surface cooling effect owing to the water circulation and proximity to the cool charge in the chamber 17 is adequate to' 7 keep the temperature low enough to avoid detonation tendency at the established compression ratio.

Although the invention has been described and shown as-embodied in a reciprocating engine having upright cylinders it is adapted equally to other types of reciprocating engines whatever may be the positions of the cylinders in space. j

I claim:

1; In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder structure providing, with the piston, a main combustion chamber having a relatively deep portion ofi'set to one side of the cylinder bore and a relatively shallow portion opposite thereto over the piston; an auxiliary combustion chamber separated from said shallow portion of the main chamber by a thin solid septum which constitutes the roof of the shallow portion and communicating restrictedly with the main chamber; said main chamber having valved intake and exhaust ports in the floor of the offset portion; said auxiliary chamber having a valved fuel inlet; and igniting means disposed in said auxiliary chamber. 2. In an internal combustion engine a cylinder structure providing, with the piston, a

main combustion chamber having a portion in proximitv to said baflling wall, inlet and outlet valved ports in the floor of said main chamber atone side of the cylinder bore, and

a valved fuel inlet port in the auxiliary chamber.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder structure providing, with the piston, a

main combustion chamber having a portion ofi'set .toone side of the cylinder bore and an auxiliary combustion chamber communicating thru a restricted passage with the main combustion chamber; said main combustion chamber having valved intake and exhaust ports in the offset portion; said auxiliary In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 

